HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE &

REHABILITATION
BY: JEMAR G. BERNARDIO
MAINTENANCE WORK AND PAVEMENT LIFE

 One goal all maintenance activities have in common is

extending the life of the pavement. Pavements are
increasingly being designed for longer service lives,
and longer-lasting pavements mean more opportunity
for maintenance over the life of the pavement
structure. To demonstrate the value of a long life
pavement, it needs to show a lower life cycle cost than
traditional alternatives, factoring in both the initial
construction cost and ongoing maintenance over its
functional life.
MAINTENANCE WORK AND PAVEMENT LIFE

 In this approach, keeping pavement

maintenance costs down is helpful to the
success and viability of the design. That
doesn’t necessarily mean that maintenance
should be less frequent, but the maintenance
activities must be cost-effective.
MAINTENANCE WORK AND PAVEMENT LIFE

 An important aspect for cost-effective

maintenance over the pavement life cycle is the
selection and timing of maintenance activities.
Using the right maintenance treatment at the
right time will help you get the maximum
benefit. This depends partly on the condition of
the pavement and where it is in its life cycle.
PREVENTIVE
MAINTENANCE WHEN A
PAVEMENT IS STILL IN
GOOD CONDITION (GREEN
ARROW) IS SIGNIFICANTLY
LESS EXPENSIVE THAN
TREATMENT AFTER
PAVEMENT
DETERIORATION HAS
ACCELERATED (RED
ARROW).
MAINTENANCE WORK AND PAVEMENT LIFE
 Under most circumstances, the condition of a pavement
over time can be represented by a curve similar to the one
shown above. The worse its condition gets, the more
expensive the treatment required to restore the pavement
to good condition, so you want to apply an appropriate
treatment in the right general area on this curve. A
relatively inexpensive preventive maintenance treatment
earlier in the pavement’s life cycle, while it may only bring
a slight improvement in the condition of the pavement, still
makes a tremendous difference if you consider that it may
postpone or avoid the need for a much more expensive
treatment later on.
CONCRETE PAVEMENT BASICS